General advice | Levels and Bosses Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy Guide

Below you can find general advice and hints that are helpful while playing all Crash Bandicoot games. Reading them is especially helpful if you intend to play the first entry in the series. This installment is very hard and it doesn't forgive even the slightest mistakes.

• In Crash Bandicoot games the protagonist has no health bar - even a single contact with an obstacle or an opponent means instant death and a return to the last checkpoint. The only exception is when you have an Aku Aku mask. After finding three pieces of it you become temporarily immortal or you can receive it if you die many times in a row. In the latter case the mask is lost if you come into contact with a trap or a monster and despite making a mistake you can keep playing. Important - the masks aren't protecting you from falling into a chasm, in such case you always die.
• In each game that is a part of the Crash Bandicoot trilogy you are collecting lives by finding them in chests or each time you amass 100 fruits. Try to save them for later as you can lose many of them in late levels. It is especially important in the first game in the series in which late levels are very difficult. Important - avoid using Spin attack twice while destroying chests or you can accidentally throw away fruits or (even worse) additional lives.
• Many levels require you to learn them very thoroughly, so don't worry if you frequently encounter unforeseen traps or sudden monsters when playing for the first time. If you don't wish to lose amassed lives, then save the game manually before each new level. Once you learn it well enough, you can load previous game and complete the level again, this time knowing what to expect.
• In each level there are a few dozen of chests to destroy. Not always you can reach each object immediately - for example, you might need a colored gem that can be obtained later. Luckily, you can return to each level later and collect all secrets then.
• During the boss fights you shouldn't try harming them in regular way, by using the Spin attack. Each unique opponent can be weakened only after filling specific requirements. In a separate part of the guide you will find a chapter featuring walkthrough for all boss fights.
• In some levels you can play bonus rounds. Look for opportunities to unlock them as in many cases (which differ depending on the chosen game) they enable you to easily gain additional lives (dying in these rounds doesn't mean losing lives). Additionally, when you use the portal to the bonus round, a new checkpoint is created in the main part of the level. It is very helpful in missions in which checkpoints are rare (for example in Slipper Climb mission in first Crash Bandicoot by default there is only one checkpoint).
• If you've begun a chronological playthrough, take a look at a number of new moves that Crash received with the beginning of Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back. All actions are based on pressing the Circle button. You can now order your hero to crouch, perform a slide (if running) or a belly flop (when airborne). These actions are useful when avoiding some of the traps and when destroying invulnerable chests - the individual occurences will be detailed separately in Crash 2 walkthrough).